A Performance Literacy Education Resource

Most people believe that if they train more often, train harder, and push themselves further, they should see better results.

And on the surface, that makes sense.

Effort feels productive.
Consistency feels disciplined.
Showing up every day feels like the answer.

But for many people, especially those who train frequently, more training is not the solution.

It is the reason progress stalls.

This Is Not a Training Program

This is not a workout plan.
It is not a prescription to do less.

It explains why pushing harder often stops working, and how to understand what your body actually needs in order to improve.

The Problem Most People Don’t Realise They Have

Training is a stress on the body.

Strength training is a stress.
Cardio training is a stress.
High intensity training is a stress.

That stress is not what makes you fitter.

Recovery after the stress is what drives adaptation.

When training volume increases but recovery does not, the body struggles to adapt. Instead of getting fitter, stronger, or leaner, people often experience:

• Constant fatigue
• Tight muscles that never loosen
• Poor sleep quality
• Flat or inconsistent performance
• Stalled body composition changes
• Training becoming unenjoyable

At that point, most people respond by pushing harder, not realising they are reinforcing the problem.

The “More Is Better” Trap

When progress slows, the default response is to do more:

• Add extra sessions
• Double up classes
• Remove rest days
• Push harder when already tired

This creates a cycle where total stress continues to rise, while recovery falls further behind.

Over time, effort turns into fatigue.
Consistency becomes harder to maintain.
Results move further away.

This is not a motivation issue.

It is a misunderstanding of how training adaptation works.

Why This Is So Common

Athletes tolerate high training volumes because their recovery is planned and protected.

Sleep, nutrition, and stress are managed around performance.

Most people are balancing work, family, poor sleep, and ongoing life stress. Trying to match athlete level training volume without athlete level recovery usually leads to burnout, not progress.

The issue is not training itself.

It is total stress exceeding capacity.

What This Performance Literacy Topic Teaches

This resource explains:

• Why more training can reduce results
• How recovery limits adaptation
• Why disciplined, hard working people often get stuck
• The difference between productive stress and accumulated fatigue
• How to apply smarter thinking inside your existing program

This is not about doing less for the sake of it.

It is about training in a way that allows your body to actually respond.

Who This Is For

This resource is for you if:

• You train regularly but feel flat or worn down
• You feel like you are doing everything right but not progressing
• You are constantly sore, tired, or tight
• You do not understand why more effort is not working
• You want long term progress without burnout

How This Fits Inside MHR Performance Literacy

When More Training Is the Problem is part of the MHR Performance Literacy system.

MHR programs already provide structure and intent.

This resource helps you understand how to:

• Match training load to real life stress
• Execute your program as intended
• Avoid unnecessary volume
• Support recovery so progress can occur

It complements your program.
It does not replace it.

Want the Full Breakdown?

This page provides an overview of the concept.

The full When More Training Is the Problem Performance Literacy manual goes deeper into:

• Training stress versus recovery capacity
• Why pushing harder often backfires
• How to adjust without losing momentum
• How to support long term progress

👉 Access the full When More Training Is the Problem Performance Literacy manual.